Poetry at Sangam
Poetry at Sangam showcases poetry in English and translations as well as essays on poetics and news of new releases.
Once upon a time when the earth was still young, the Aos say the moon lived very close to us. It used to be a playmate to children and very often it stayed within reach, near the eaves of roofs and watched villagers go about their various activities.
When women husked paddy, the long poles they used would accidentally hit the moon and when it cried out in pain, the women would burst out laughing as though it was a big joke.
Even children, taking their cue from the women, began pelting the moon with pebbles, ash from the hearth and even cow-dung. When the moon cried out and tried to cover its face, the children thought it very amusing and this became their favorite pastime.
When such cruelty became regular, the moon decided to leave the earth and go very far away to be safe. That is why, the Ao claim, that the moon is much further away from the earth that it was earlier. And they explain that the dark spots on its face are the marks of ashes and cow-dung spattered on it by the cruel children of the earth.
This irrevocable distancing of the moon from the earth is the subject of many folksongs. In the village of Changki, children sing to invite the moon to return close to earth and play with them again. This song, which is a conversation with the moon, has one group of children singing their pleas and questions, while another group sings the moon’s replies.
O moon, O moon,
Whose moon are you now?
Come down
And let’s be friends again.
O I cannot do that now
For I belong far away
And there is no one to guard the house today.
What happened to your mother?
Where is she?
O she has gone to my maternal uncle’s field today
So I cannot go out to play.
Why can’t your sister guard the house?
O she is busy husking paddy.
What about your father then?
O he has gone to the neighbour’s
To help him repair his roof.
So you see, there is no one here
Except me, to guard the house.
The moon’s answers, subtle but firm, thus establish its distance and alienation from the earth.